Frame for women&#39;s strapless garments



July 8, 1941. H. 'r. SNIDER FRAME FOR WOMEN'S STRAPLESS GARMENTS Filed Feb. 23, 1940 my a Patented July 8, 1941 UNITED FRAME FOR WOMENS STRAPLESS. GARMENTS Helen Taubkins Snider, Baltimore, Md.

Application February 23, 1940, Serial No. 320.470

Claims.

This invention relates to womens garments of the so-called strapless type designedto cover the breasts and which dispenses with the use of straps encircling the -neck, shoulders or back, above the waist, for holding the garment in-place. Among such garments may be mentioned 'bathing suits, sport clothes, evening gowns and bras- Sires, although the invention is not to" be regarded as restricted to use with such garments.

An important object of my invention/is to provide a frame serving as 'a foundation for garments of the above character, the frame'being of light, strong and simple construction and adapted to be comfortably worn in a concealed position, the parts being so flexibly connected as to be readily yieldable in various directions in order not to interfere with the free and natural ferrecl embodiment of the invention, reference being had to the annexed drawing in which the figure is a view of one form of my garment frame showing the manner in which it is adapted to be supported upon the body.

In the drawing illustrating a strapless brassiere incorporationg my invention, I designates an abdominal piece composed of some light material such as aluminum alloy. This abdominal piece is curved so as to snugly fit the body of the wearer (indicated in phantom outline) and extends, increasing in width, from the crotch upwardly along the abdomen. While the size and shape of this abdominal piece will lend themselves to variations, I prefer to extend this piece upwardly to approximately one inch above the navel and to make it approximately seven inches in width adjacent its upper end so as to afford an extensive and stable area of contact with the body. The

abdominal piece may be secured to the body by means of a belt 2 secured at one end within slots 3 and passing over the hips and between the legs to connect with the lower end of the piece, as

indicated in the drawing. Breather holes 4 extend through the abdominal piece to afford venti-' The stay 6 extends upwardly medially of the front position of the body and at its upper end terminates between the two breasts, as shown in the drawing. Forming part of the stay is a crosspiece I which overlies the stay adjacent its upper end and is pivotally connected thereto by means of a pin 8, This pin extends through registering openings in the stay and crosspiece andpmay be releasably held by a nut'threaded upon the projecting end of the pin. For permitting the vertical adjustment of the crosspiece upon the stay, the openings upon the stay for passing the pin 8 may be duplicated'at short intervals along the stay as indicated at 9.

At each end of the crosspiece 1 is carried a pin ID pivotally supporting a stainless steel wire loop I I adapted to encircle a breast. This loop may be either round or oval in shape and may be curved out of a plane so as to conform to the contour of the chest wall. The steel. wire composing the breast loopsis sufficiently deformable to allow molding the loops to individual tastes but yet is rigid enough to retain its shape under ordinary conditions of use. The loops II are adapted to be covered by fabric I2 to conceal the wire frame and to complete the brassiere."

It will'be apparent from the foregoing description that freedom of movement of the body is afforded by my garment frame. When the body is bent either to the right or left at the waist the frame will pivot about the pin 5; when bent at the shoulders the loops II will pivot about their pins I0 and the crosspiece will swing about the pin 8; and when moved either forwardly or backwardly the stay will flex so as to partake of this bodily movement. During normal activity the action of the body will usually involve a combination of such movements but under any conditions my garment frame, by virtue of.its flexible construction, is enabled to yield without interfering with such motion. Also because of its light and simplified construction the frame is adapted to be comfortably and inconspicuously worn with sheer evening gowns.

Adjustment for differences in the height of women is convenientincorporated in and form a part of a belt or girdle of conventional type.

Obviously various other changes in detail and design may be made in the frame described above without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A frame for womens strapless garments comprising a stifily flexible stay adapted to extend medially of the front part of the body from adjacent the abdomen to a position intermediate the breasts, an abdominal piece arranged to be worn upon the body, means for attaching said abdominal piece to the body, means pivotally connecting the lower end of the stay to said abdominal piece, a member engaging and supporting each breast, and means pivotally connecting said member to the upper end of the stay, whereby said members and stay are movable about separate pivots so as not to interfere with the free movement of the body.

2. A frame for women's strapless garments comprising a stifily flexible stay adapted to extend medially of the front part of the body from adjacent the abdomen to a position intermediate the breasts, an abdominal piece arranged to be worn upon the body, means for attaching said abdominal piece to the body, means pivotally connecting the lower end of the stay to said abdominal piece, a loop member for encircling each breast, said stay adjacent its upper end having a crosspiece pivotally secured thereto, and means pivotally connecting each of said loop members to said crosspiece, whereby the loop members, crosspiece and stay are movable about separate pivots soas not to interfere with the free movement of the body,

3. A frame for womens strapless garments comprising a stiffly flexible stay adapted to extend medially of the front part of the body from adjacent the abdomen to a position intermediate the breasts, an abdominal piece arranged to be worn upon the body, means for attaching said abdominal piece to the body, means pivotally con necting the lower end of the stay to said addominal piece, a loop member for encircling each breast, and means pivotally connecting said loop member to the upper end of the stay, said abdominal piece being curved to fit the contour of the body and extending from the crotch upwardly along the abdomen, whereby the loop members and stays are movable about separate pivots so as not to interfere with the free movement of the body.

4. A frame for womens strapless garments comprising a stifily flexible stay adapted to extend medially of the front part of the body from adjacent-the abdomen to a position intermediate the breasts, an abdominal piece arranged to be worn upon the body, means for attaching said abdominal piece to the body, means pivotally connecting the lower end of the stay to said abdominal piece, a loop member for encircling each breast, and means pivotally connecting said loop member to the upper end of the stay, said addominal piece being curved to fit the contour of the body and extending from the crotch upwardly along the abdomen, said abdominal piece expanding upwardly and outwardly to provide a substantial area of contact with the body and having breather holes therein for ventilating the underlying skin, whereby the loop members and stay are movable about separate pivots so as not to interfere with the free movement of the body.

5. A frame for womens strapless garments comprising a stay composed of spring metal adapted to extend medially of the front part of the body from adjacent the abdomen to a position intermediate the breasts, an abdominal piece composed of light rigid material arranged to be worn upon the body, said abdominal piece being adapted to extend upwardly from the crotch to the vicinity of the navel, means for attaching said abdominal piece to the body, means pivotally connecting the lower end of the stay to the upper end of said abdominal piece, a wire loop member encircling each breast, a fabric covering supported upon said loop member and means pivotally connecting said loop member to the upper end of the stay, whereby the loop members and stay are movable about separate pivots so as not to interfere with the free movement of the body.

HELEN TAUBKINS SNIDER. 

